


The Road Forever Long

by cordeliadelayne



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Gen Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-13
Updated: 2015-08-13
Packaged: 2018-04-14 13:22:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4566159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordeliadelayne/pseuds/cordeliadelayne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for karasu_hime  who wanted to see Snape and Lily meet Remus for the first time. Plus pink gerbera’s. Originally posted to Livejournal in 2010.</p>
    </blockquote>





	The Road Forever Long

**Author's Note:**

> Written for karasu_hime who wanted to see Snape and Lily meet Remus for the first time. Plus pink gerbera’s. Originally posted to Livejournal in 2010.

Lily Evans was sitting on her favourite bench in the park, swinging her legs and waiting for her friend Severus to turn up. Sometimes it could take a couple of hours before he could sneak out of the house to meet her, so she’d grown accustomed to passing the time alone. Sometimes she would talk to the other kids, but they already knew she was a little odder than them, that something marked her out as different. And that was before the owls that were always seen around her house started showing up, or before she started hanging out with _that boy_. And parents, of course, talked.  
   
They didn’t mean to create problems for their children, but naturally when they started whispering about Lily and her unsavoury friends, the kids did too. So while Lily had always been a vivacious young girl, confident in herself and in her friendship with Severus, she couldn’t keep the children from talking about her or crossing the street to avoid her. Some would talk to only her and ignore Severus completely; those were the ones she, in turn, ignored.   
   
So here she sat, waiting. She hoped Severus would get there soon; she was excited that they were only a week away from going to Hogwarts and she wanted to practice some of her spells. Severus was already so good at it, she hoped he would teach her a few things; though some of his darker spells scared her a little.  
   
Across the park a little ways she could see a boy carrying what looked like a bag of groceries and a bunch of flowers tucked under his arm that was almost as big as him. She hadn’t seen him around the neighbourhood before, and she knew _everybody_ , so he must have just moved in to Old Mrs Griffin’s house. They still all called it that, even though Mrs Griffin had been dead for years, and because it wasn’t exactly the best house on the street.  
   
The boy looked so lost, and Severus still hadn’t shown up, that Lily felt she ought to go over and say hello. She liked making new friends, even if she didn't get to keep them very long.  
   
“Do you need any help?” she asked. The boy nearly jumped ten feet in the air.  
   
“Um, oh,” he stared down at the split bag in his hand and the smashed eggs on the ground. “Yeah. Thanks.”  
   
As Lily began to help the younger boy she tried to get a better look at him. He looked a little sickly, and every so often winced as he leaned down. His hair also looked like it was greying at the edges, though she thought that made him look more distinguished than her other friends; save for Severus of course, whose appearance always made him stand out.  
   
“I’m Lily, by the way,” she told him, handing over the rest of his groceries. “Lily Evans.”  
   
“Oh, um,” the boy wiped his hands down on his trousers and extended one for her to shake, “Remus. Remus Lupin.”  
   
“Are you new here?” Lily asked, indicating the town behind them.  
   
“Yeah, we just moved here.”  
   
“Lily? Who's this?”  
   
They were interrupted by the appearance of Severus Snape, a small boy with long black hair that fell over his face and which he kept pulling out of the way. He had a bunch of pink gerbera’s clutched tightly in his hand.  
   
“Severus! There you are. Oh, are these for me?” She took the flowers as he nodded at her, eyes turning to slits whenever he glanced at the other boy and then pulled him into a big hug which took him by surprise.  
   
“Lily, it is good to see you.” He glanced at the other boy, who was shyly kicking his feet against the ground. “I’m sorry I’m late. Father was…” He drifted off and Lily let him go with a knowing nod.  
   
“This is Remus Lupin. He’s new.”  
   
“I see.” Lily nudged his elbow until he extended his arm and was surprised by the firm grip of Lupin’s handshake. “Severus Snape.”  
   
“Hi,” Lupin replied quietly. “Those really are beautiful flowers.”  
   
“Oh, Sev, they really are. You’ve outdone yourself this time.”  
   
“You grew them?” Lupin asked, face truly animated for the first time.  
   
Snape flushed with pleasure. “Yes. It’s a small hobby of mine.” Snape pulled back his hair and then scowled as a stray section fell across his eyes. He didn't want anything to obscure his view of this strange boy Lily had attracted.  
   
Lupin tentatively reached out and touched one of the petals. Little sparks of magic flew out and Lily and Snape exchanged surprised glances.  
   
“What school are you going to next month?” Lily asked. She stroked the petals herself and watched as tiny gold sparks danced along her fingertips.  
   
Lupin stared in surprise. “Hogwarts,” he whispered.  
   
Lily squealed so loudly that Snape flinched and then she flung her arms around an extremely startled Lupin’s neck. “Us too! Oh this is fabulous, isn’t it Severus?”  
   
Snape looked slightly less enthused but nodded anyway. He knew it was sometimes better where Lily was concerned to let her have her way.  
   
“This is going to be _so_ much fun. I just know we’re going to be the best of friends.”

Snape had a retort ready on his tongue, but one look at the smile that lit up Lupin's face was enough to silence him, a warm feeling settling in his stomach. Perhaps Lily was right. And as Lupin's smile only grew as Lily chattered animatedly, and his and Snape's eyes met, Snape felt more certain than ever that for once Lily's enthusiasm was justified.

“Yes,” Snape said, “I think you may be right Lily. We are going to be friends.”

Lupin's grin was worth everything that was to come.  
 


End file.
